Article feeding mechanism



April 5, 1960 A. R. FRANK ETAL 2,931,487

ARTICLE: FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Deo. 9, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS#mrow/5760600 PA/v/f rM/QEY April 5, 1960 A. R. FRANK AEl' AL ARTICLEFEEDING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 9, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 YM//u/AM H. 'MESApril 5, 1960 A. R. FRANK ET AL 2,931,487

' ARTICLE FEEDING MECHANISM April 5, 1960 A. R. FRANK ET AL 2,931,487

ARTICLE FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 9. 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jl uicy-g:

United States Patent O 2,931,481 Y ARTICLE FEEDING MECHANISM AntonRichard Frank, Jamaica, and William H. Giles, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignorsto Van Buren Machine Corp., Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication December 9, 1958, Serial No. 779,189

5 Claims. (Cl. 198-232) This invention relates to feeding mechanism forfeeding articles to be wrapped to awrapping machine.

It is most important that a st eady supply line of articles be fed t'o awrapping machine and the present invention has for its salient object toinsure a constant supply o'f articles to a wrapping machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide control means so operatedthat in the event that the constant Iflow of articles is interrupted,the wrapping machine moto'r, which also normally drives the feedingmechanism, will cease t operate, and an auxiliary motor will be cut into drive the article feeding mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a constant supply ofarticles in the feed line of a Wrapping machine by providing a dual feedto the Wrapping machine line and controlling alternate feeding o'farticles from the two supply lines.

Further objects of theinvention Will appear from the followingspecification taken in connection with the drawings which form a part ofthis application, and in which Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a machineconstructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken below the top plate or tableof the machine and showing in plan view the feeding conveyors anddriving connections;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction o'f the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation, on an enlarged scale, takensubstantially on line 4 4 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of thearrows;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation, on an enlarged scale, takensubstantially o'n line 5 5 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of thearrows;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation, on an enlarged scale, takensubstantially on line 6 6 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of thearrows;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. V8 is a detail sectional elevation taken substantially on line 8 8o'f Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view showing the operation of the feeler whichis mounted in conjunction with the delivery conveyor which delivers thearticles to the wrapping machine, and the switches and motors controlledthereby.

The invention, briefly described, comprises a pair of supply lines fo'rfeeding articles to vbe wrapped, and a central delivery line or conveyormounted betweeny the two supply lines and adapted to receive varticlesalter- 2,931,487 Patented Apr. V5,]19'60 tions from the motor whichoperates theA wrapping machine, but when the supply of articles 'on thedelivery conveyor is interrupted a switch is operated to interrupt theoperation of the Wrapping machine motorl and to start in operation anauxiliary motor which under these conditions drives the conveyors andthe delivery conveyor until a constant supply of articles again flows tothe wrapping machine on the delivery conveyor. When the constant streamof articles again flows, the auxiliary motor is cut out and the wrappingmachine motor is cut in. Since alternative drives are provided for theconveyors which supply the articles, overrunning clutches are providedat various points in the operating connections, these clutches operatingin the manner hereinafter described.

Further details of the invention will appear from the followingdescription. l

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in thedrawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 a table or platform 20 above whichthe conveyor belts operate. The articles are brought into the feedingmechanism by feed belts 21 and 22, shown in Fig. 2. These belts feed thearticles through channels 23 and 24 onto' ledges or anges 25 and 26formed on disks 27 and 28 which, as shown in Fig. 3,` have annulargrooves 29 therein.

The flanges 25 and 26 receive the articles S, which in the presentinstance are lumps of sugar, from the conveyors 21 and 22 and thearticles are stripped from v the flanges and delivered to a pair ofconveyor belts 30 and 31 by fingers 32 on the platform 20.

A delivery belt 33 is mounted .betweenthebelts 30 and 31 and thearticleson the belts 30 and 31 arealternately fed to the delivery beltby a reciprocable slide block or valve 35, illustrated particularly inFigs. 5, 6 and 7.

The conveyor belts 30, 31 and 33 are mounted on pulleys 40, 41 and 42and the belts 30 and 31 are "ice mounted at their outer ends on pulleys43 and 44. The

belt 33 is mounted at its other end on a pulley 45.

The pulleys 40, 41 and 42 are mounted on a shaft 46 which is mountedv inbrackets 47 carried by avertical plate 48. The shaft 46 has secured toits ends bevel gears 49 and 50 which mesh with gears 51 and 52 on shafts53 and 54 which are suppo'rted in vertical plates or frame members 48and 55. Shafts 53 and 54 have also "When the wrapping machine motorceases to operate, an

auxiliary motor, designated as M in Figs. 2 and 3, will be cut intooperation. f

Driving connections from auxiliary motor The'driving connections fromthe motor M will first be described and thereafter the drivingconnections from the Wrapping machine motor will be described.

The motor M is mounted on a suitable support below the table or platform20 and the motor shaft is connected through an overrunning clutch 65 toa shaft 66 on which is mounted a sprocket 67. The sprocket 67 drives achain 68 which is mounted on a sprocket 69 secured toa shaft 70. Shaft70 has also secured thereto a sprocket 75 which drives a chain 76 whichis mounted onvthe sprocket V7 5 and on a sprocket 77 on the shaft 46.

'.Tfhe shaft V70'ialso .has :secured thereto bevel gearsv 78 and 79which mesh withbevel` gears.80uand.81.mounted on shafts 82 and 83 onwhich the disks 27 and 28 are mounted.

YTheoperation of and driving connections rfortheslide -.valve.or block35, as'shown particularlyin Figs. 5, 6 and 7, -will now be described.

The valve .or block 35 has a pair of pockets or re- .cesses 90 and'91which open downwardly and are dimensioned to fit over the articles Swhich are fed by the conveyors'30, 31 and 33. The block 35 also hasfaces or surfaces 92 and 93 which in certain positions of the vblock.are adapted to engage and hold the advance articles on the conveyors 30and 31. `For instance, in Fig. 6 the article yS on conveyor 30 is beingengaged and held by the surface 92, and in Fig. the article S onconveyor 31 is being held by the surface93.

As shown in Fig. 7, articles are also held after passing through one ofthe pockets or channels 90 and 9=1 by `blocks 95 and 96 supported bybars 97 and 98 mounted between the delivery conveyor 33 and the pulleys43 and 44.at the delivery ends of the conveyors 30 and 31.

' 4The slide valve or block 35 Valternately delivers'articles S from theconveyors 30 and 31to the central or deliveryconveyor 33. In Fig. 7, anarticle S is shown in engagement with the block 96 and in the channel orpocket 91. When the slide valve or block is reciprocated from'theposition shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 5, thisarticle S in the channel 91 will be moved across the intervening portionof the table from the conveyor 31 tothe conveyor 33. After the articlehas been so delivered, the block or valve will be reciprocated againback -to the position shown in Fig. 6, whereupon the article S on theconveyor 30 will be moved from the conveyor 30 to the conveyor 33.

The operation 'ofthe slide valve or block` will now be described. Thisblock is pivotcd at v100 to an upwardly `extending larm 101 on a bar102, and the block is held in the position shown in Figs.' 5 and 6 by aspring 103. The bar 102 is mounted to slide on a block 104 and the'bar'has on itsV under surface a rack 105. lThis rack is engaged by agear 106 mounted on a spindle 107. The

Y spindle 107 has also secured thereto a gear 108 which is engaged byarack 109 on a rack bar 110. The bar 110 hasa bifurcatedextension 111which straddles a square block 112 on the shaft 54. This shaft has alsosecured thereto fa cam 113 which ris engaged by a roller V114 carriedlbythe rack bar 110. As the cam rotates, the rack bar..110 and rack 109will be reciprocated and through the gears 108 and 106 will reciprocatethe rack 105 and bar 2 'and thereby reciprocate the slide valve orblock35.

rAsishown in Fig. 2, the shaft 54, which is driven by the bevel gearconnections 50 and 52 from the shaft 46, extends upwardly, and on theupper end thereof there is a `bevel gear 120 which meshes with a gear121 mounted on the shaft 122 on which the pulleys 43 and 44 are mounted.

Drive Control As hereinbefore described, the feeding conveyors arenormally driven by driving connections to the wrapping machine motor,that is, as long as a constant supply of articles is being fed to theWrapping machine by the delivery belt 33. When the stream of articles isinterrupted, the Wrapping machine motor is stopped and the auxiliarymotor M is cut into operation and drives the feeding mechanism. This isaccomplished by the feeler Vdevice and switch mechanism shown in Fig. 4and shown diagrammatically in Fig. 9. The feeler consists of a bellcrank lever 125 which is pivotcd at 126 and comprises tWo arms 127 and128. The arm 128 has an extension 129 disposed over the path of movementof the articles Sand when the delivery of the articles is interruptedthe extension 129 drops, thus moving the bell crank lever in avcloekwisedirection and causing an extension 13@ Q11 the arm 127 to engage aswitch arm 131 of a'micro-switc'h n.13210 close this switchandcut-inthe-motor M orset-the motor M in operation.

On the other hand, when'a constant stream of articles S is moving alongthe delivery conveyor 33, the arm 130 will be moved in an anticlockwisedirection, thus operating a switch `arm 133 of `a micro-switch 134,causing the wrapping machine motor to operate. This operation is showndiagrammatically in-Fig. 9.

Driving connections from wrapping 'machine rolle`ll When the wrappingmachine motor is in operation, it is connected by a chain to astub shaft141 having a bevel gear 142 connected to a bevel gear 143 on a shaft144. The shaft 144 is connected through an overrunning clutch 145 to aspindle'146 on which the pulley 45 is mounted at the delivery end ofbelt 33. Thus, when the wrapping machine motor is operating, the pulley45 will be driven through the clutch 145.

The stub shaft 1141 has mounted thereon asprocket wheel Which-isconnected by -achain 151 to a sprocket 152 on a -shaft 153. This shaft153 has also mounted thereon a sprocket wheel 154 which is ,connectedVby a chain 155 which drives a sprocket wheel 156, which in turn drivesan overrunning clutch 157 on the shaft 54. The clutch 157 drives theshaft 54 when the wrapping machine motor is operating and idles when theshaft is being driven from the auxiliary motor M.

summarizing, when the wrapping machine motor is driving the`feedingmechanism, the drive is communicated through the chain 140 to stub shaft141 and through gears 142 and 143 to the overrunning clutch 145, andthence to the shaft of the delivery belt pulley 45. Also, the stubshaft141, through the sprocket and chain drives 150, 151 and 152, drives theshaft 153, and throughthis shaft and sprocket and chain connections 154,155 and 156 drives the overrunning clutch 157, which in turn drives theshaft 54. The driving connections between the 'shaft 54 andthe deliverybelts 21 and 22 and lthe belts 30 and 31 Yhave been described and neednot be repeated.

From the foregoing description it will be clear that simple andpractical mechanism has been provided for insuring a constant 'supply tothe wrapping machine of articles Vto be Wrapped and for providingalternative drives from the Wrapping machine motor and from theauxiliary motor which is cut into'operation when the supply of articlesis interrupted.

Although one'specic embodiment of the invention has been particularlyshown and described, it will be understood that the invention is capableof modification and that changes in the construction and in thearrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention, las expressed inthe'following claims.

What we claim is: v

1. Feeding mechanism for a wrapping machine cornprising a pair of supplybelts, a delivery belt disposed between the supply belts, operativedriving connections for said belts, a motorfor driving the wrappingmachine, means foroperating said connections by the wrapping machinemotor, an auxiliary motor, means for'operating the driving connectionsfor the belts by said auxiliary motor, and control mechanism'forstopping the wrapping machine motor and starting theauxiliary motorwhenthe supply of articles on the delivery belt is interrupted.

`2. Feeding mechanism for a wrapping machine coinprising a pair ofsupply belts, a delivery belt disposed between the supplybelts,.means.for supplying articles to be wrapped toV said supply belts,means for alternately moving articles laterally from the supply beltstothe delivery belt, operative driving connections for said belts, amotor for driving the wrapping machine, means for operating saidconnections by the wrapping machine motor, an auxiliary motor, means foroperating the driving connections for the belts by @said-auxiliarymotor,

chine motor and starting the auxiliary motor when thesupply of articleson the delivery belt is interrupted.

3. Feeding mechanism for a wrapping machine comprising a pair of supplybelts, a delivery belt disposed between the supply belts, operativedriving connections for said belts, a motor for driving the'wrappingmachine, means including overrunning clutches for operating saidconnections by the wrapping machine motor, an auxiliary motor, meansincluding an overrunning clutch for operating the driving connectionsfor the belts by said auxiliary motor, and control mechanism forstopping the wrapping machine motor and starting the auxiliary motorwhen the supply of articles on the delivery belt is interrupted.

4; Feeding mechanisml for a wrapping machine comprising a pair of supplybelts, a delivery belt disposed between the supply belts, means forsupplying articles to be wrapped to said supply belts, means foralternately moving articles laterally from the supply belts to thedelivery belt, operative driving connections for said belts, a motor fordriving the wrapping machine, means including overrunning clutches foroperating said connections by the wrapping machine motor, an auxiliarymotor, means including an overrunning clutch for operating the drivingconnections for the belts by said auxiliary motor, and control mechanismfor stopping the wrapping machine motor and starting the auxiliary motorwhen the supply of articles on the delivery belt is interrupted.

5. Feeding mechanism for feeding articles to a ma- `chine comprising adelivery conveyor for conveying articles to the machine, a motor fordriving the machine, operative driving connections for connecting themotor to drive the conveyor, an auxiliary motor, means for connectingsaid auxiliary motor to the conveyor driving connections, and controlmechanism for stopping the machine motor and starting the auxiliarymotor when the supply of articles on the delivery conveyor isinterrupted.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 976,264Johnson Nov. 22, 1910 1,501,622 Ruau July 15, 1924 2,630,951 SlightamMar. 10, 1953

